Nations call for China trade probe
Wednesday November 04 2009
The US, the European Union and Mexico have called on the World Trade Organisation to probe Chinese curbs on raw material exports that they say break global trade rules.
In separate statements, US and EU trade representatives said Chinese quotas on exports of key minerals such as bauxite, coke, magnesium, manganese, silicon metal and zinc and export charges on several raw materials distort competition and increase global prices.
EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton said these were "making conditions for our companies even more difficult in this economic climate."
US trade spokeswoman Debbie Mesloh said attempts to negotiate with China did not succeed and the US was still open to working with China to resolve the issue.
The EU said some of these resources could not be found elsewhere and the Chinese restrictions gave Chinese chemical, aluminium and other metal industries access to cheaper materials than rivals elsewhere.
The WTO will look at the request to open a panel to investigate the restrictions on November 19. It can not force countries to comply with its rulings, but it can authorise commercial sanctions against nations continuing to break the rules. Trade cases generally take years to reach that point.
The US and the EU are China's two biggest trading partners.
Press Association
